Ball.



w. P. WHITLEY.

BALL. APPLIUA'I'IOH FILED J'Ul lli 9, 1910.

Patented Dec. 13,1910.

r m 2 P Z w V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I. WHI'ILEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAWLINGS MANU- FACTURING COMIANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed June 9, 1910. Serial No. 566,030.

To all tuhom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. WHITLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain' new and usefulImprovement in Balls,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it, appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, 1n which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a ball of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the center of my improved ball. Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations 'of the ball as the same appears at different stagesof manufacture.

My invention relates to a playing ball particularly adapted for the use of ladies may be readily thrown and can ht without hurting the hands, and which ba 1 is exceedingly resilient, owing to the character of the material of which the body of the ball is made.

is covered with a thin layer 3 made up of 1 small particles or fragments of sponge, and this layer is held in position by means of thread or yarn 4 wound on the exterior of said layer. Succeeding layers 5 made up of small pieces of sponge or analogous material are placed one upon the other and each layer being wound with string or yarn until the body of the ball is of the proper size, and the same is then provided with a cover 6 of leather or fabric. Thus it will be seen the body of my im roved ball is made up of a small core, an a series of superimposed layers of sponge or analogous material and each layer being wound with thread or yarn.

The layers of material forming the body of the ball are each wound with a thread or yarn in order to reinforce the'body of the ball and give stability thereto, thereby overcoming any tendency of the ball to get out of shape while in use.

It has been demonstrated that where a ball is made up of a solid body of li ht material without reinforcement that said ball will quickly get out of shape when repeatedly struck b an object such as a base ball bat.

A bal of my im roved construction is comparatively hght in weight, is exceptionally lively owing to the resiliency of the material used in the body of the ball, and said ball can be thrown and caught without injury to the hands, and is, therefore, particularly adapted for the use of ladies and children.

I am aware that playing balls have been made up of small pieces of sponge or the like, as for instance, in Patents No. 456,920 dated July 28, 1891, and No. 646,350, dated March 27, 1900, but in the construction of the ball shown in both of these patents a large body of sponge or a body made up of a number of pieces of sponge is wrapped or wound only upon the exterior, and where this construction is carried out the body of the ball will not maintain its initial shape for the reason that the interior of the body of the'ball is not reinforced.

I claim:

. 1. A ball consisting of a body made up of a core formed of a number of small pieces of light resilient material, a winding of thread or yarn around said core, a series of superimposed layers made up of a number of small pieces of light resilient material, a winding of thread or yarn u on each layer and a cover inclosing said b0 y.

2. The herein described ball comprising a In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature 1n the presence of t\ v0 \vltllesses.

thisznd day ofJnne, 1910. I

\YILLLXM 1. *HITLEY.

\Vitnesses:

M. P. SMITH; F. R. CORNWALL. 

